


Avenger of Alderaan

by sandakin



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-16 04:10:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandakin/pseuds/sandakin
Summary: After helplessly witnessing the destruction of her homeworld, Leia Organa seizes the power of the Dark Side and seeks revenge.





	1. Chapter 1

One year later, the Death Star

Leia Organa's entire body ached. In this moment, pain was her entire existence, her mind unable to focus for longer than an instant on anything other than her acute suffering. How long had it been since the mind-probe had ended? Impossible to say. The sense of time and space gradually returned. She sat up. The cell though dimly lit, seemed to burn into her eyes like the surface of a sun. There was a knock on the cell door. 

"Governor Tarkin will see for you within the hour. Make yourself presentable." 

A fresh white senatorial gown, identical to the sweat drenched one clinging to her body was passed through the port on the cell door. Leia lay back down for a few minutes, trying to rest as best she could while recuperating from the lingering effects of Vader's interrogation; then she changed her clothes and decided she may as well attend to her frayed hair and her face. It was a welcome distraction, and presented the illusion of composure.

At the appointed time, Lord Vader opened the cell and waited for Leia to exit. Motioning to the left, he directed her down the prison corridor to an air-lift. "You could have prevented this. All of this. The deaths of your loyal crew and the pain inflicted upon your body has been wrought by your hand alone. The Empire dispenses only justice." She did not respond. "And yet," he said, as much to his own surprise as to hers “I am… sorry.” 

When they reached the viewing deck, Tarkin had his back turned to them, staring out the window, as Leia and Vader entered. Leia's heart pounded so thunderously it hurt. There it was, her homeworld, Alderaan shining blue just beyond the ostentatious trapezoidal window. Was this some twisted scenario designed for her interrogation? Leia overheard one of Tarkin's aides inform the Governor that their vessel had just entered the Alderaan system.

Leia summoned all her poise and discipline. She reminded herself that she was both royalty and an imperial senator. They would have to answer to the Senate and to the Emperor for her unlawful abduction and their reckless threats. "They're bluffing. They must be." she thought to herself. She would play the indignant diplomat. 

"Governor Tarkin, I should've expected to find you holding Vader's leash," she heard herself say in a convincingly condescending tone. "I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board," she said. "Charming, to the last," said Tarkin with a thin smile. "You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life." Definitely bluffing, Leia thought to herself. Continuing in her bantering almost playful tone, she said "I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself."  
"Princess Leia, before your execution I would like you to be a guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational." “No, he can't, Alderaan is too important to the Empire! The Emperor would never--” she thought to herself. "No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now," declared Tarkin. "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers," said Leia, her immense dread now leaking into her voice. She knew exactly where they were, what this new "battlestation", this Death Star was capable of.

 

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station," Tarkin replied. He moved toward her with terrible purpose. She could feel the bloodlust pumping through his heart from across the room. 

“He can't do this! He's just a Governor! He's bluffing!” she thought desperately, grasping at the last straws of hope.

"In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the rebel base, I have chosen to test the destructive power of this station on your home-planet of Alderaan."

Her composure broken, Leia pleaded desperately for her homeworld. She insisted that they had no weapons, they were no threat to anyone. Tarkin towered over her, demanding that a military target be designated as a substitute. Leia volunteered Dantooine--the site of a now abandoned former rebel base, knowing that innocent lives would still be destroyed there because of her claim. Even so, Leia allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Her home, and her family were safe, but only for those few precious seconds before she heard Tarkin’s next command: "Continue with the operation. Fire when ready."

"Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry, we will deal with your rebel friends soon enough." 

“He wants me to give up Yavin The order isn't real. This is all just a show,” she thought to herself.  
This was no simulation. It wasn’t a bluff or an interrogation tactic. This was real."No!" she heard herself say desperately, helplessly. Then in the blink of an eye, she saw her world destroyed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leia had never felt such agony. She felt not simply the pain, she felt the annihilation, the intricately detailed, individualized death of every being on the surface. She felt the vaporization of millions of sentient minds at once, the destruction of ecosystems, the shattering of the planet's crust, in an instant that lasted an eternity. Her awareness expanded exponentially into an infinite cosmos unto itself, populated solely by obliteration and death. 

Leia writhed and wailed on the floor in unparalleled agony. "Get her out of her immediately, I cannot bear the sound of that shrieking!" ordered Tarkin indignantly. At once Leia fell silent, her gaze fixed on the man who had so nonchalantly condemned everything she had once known to oblivion. All those feelings of pain and death coalesced around Tarkin in that moment, their gravity drawing everything into a supermassive nexus of pure aggression. Leia locked eyes with Tarkin. Some instinct deep inside of him told him that he was staring into the eyes of an apex predator completely beyond his ability to slay or escape. Desperately, the prey scrambled to find himself some means of escape. "I said take her away!" No-one moved. "Dammit Vader I said get her out of my sight!" 

"I cannot do as you command." said the Sith lord.

Tarkin’s voice began to crack. "You can and you will! Or I shall have the Emperor remove whatever parts are left of your original form so that at least I may have a droid that will execute the will of the--"

Tarkin’s jaw dropped in terrified awe. He saw that his guards were lying dead on the floor, their skeletons snapped and contorted into unnatural positions. He felt his feet lift off the ground as Leia pulled him in, forcing him to look into her eyes once more. He struggled in vain to breathe. His entire body was under immense pressure. It took every last ounce of discipline for Leia to avoid snapping his entire body then and there.

Tarkin had spent longer than most in the company of Vader and Emperor Palpatine. Never once had he felt such anger, such hate, so much consummate suffering, as that which emanated from the being before him now. Unguided force lightning coursed wildly throughout the room. Vader's suit was disabled. All the guards were dead. It was just the two of them now.

"What... what do you.. want?" Tarkin barely managed to whimper. Leia replied not with her voice but through the force itself reaching directly into Tarkin’s mind, “Revenge!”


	2. Chapter 2

Onboard the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan Kenobi felt a disturbance in the Force the likes of which he had never felt before. At first it was an all too familiar sensation, a ripple of desperate agony, the simultaneous death-knell of millions of sentient beings wiped out in an instant, but this ripple left something in its wake, a lingering -no- an echoing- hatred. A grave look came over the old Jedi's face as he pondered this phenomenon. In all the bloodshed he had witnessed during the Clone Wars, never once had he felt anything quite like this. 

"Master Obi-Wan, is something wrong?" asked Luke. Not wanting to alarm his new padawan, the master replied with a half-truth "Just the unpleasant memories of an age’d warrior." He evaded any further questions by ordering Luke to complete another round of lightsaber practice. As his padawan clumsily blocked the practice droid’s shots, Obi-Wan remained outwardly stoic even as a deep sense of dread welled up inside of him. Soon the Millenium Falcon arrived at the coordinates of its destination. Alderaan had been reduced to rubble. As they came out of hyperspace an imperial TIE fighter screeched past them heading toward what they initially thought was a small moon. They became trapped in the massive battlestation’s tractor beam and were pulled into one of its cargo docks.

Han and Luke were beginning to suspect that Obi-Wan knew more than he was letting on. "Where the hell is Alderaan?" asked Han bluntly. "Master Obi-Wan, a few minutes ago you were calm and content, then you...changed. What's going on?" asked Luke. With a sigh, Obi-Wan began to speak. "Alderaan has been destroyed. This asteroid field is all that remains of it. Moments ago, I felt a great disturbance in the Force. I wasn't sure of it at first, as I’ve never once before felt anything like it, but there were millions of voices crying out in terror, suddenly silenced. This sphere, this vessel we're being pulled into is likely the immediate cause of Alderaan's destruction. We can infer from the TIE fighter ahead of us, that it is an imperial weapon, a planet killer."

The room fell silent as its occupants processed what the old man was saying. The evidence was plain enough, floating all around them in the void. "Chewie, get your bowcaster," instructed captain Solo. 

"Kid, you know how to use a blaster right? They have blasters on Tatooine?"

"Of course I know how to use a blaster! I used to shoot the womp-rats in Beggar’s Can-"

"Great, kid, that's great. Fantastic. Here, take this old DT-12. Try not to shoot yourself. Give that lightsaber back to grampa, I get the feeling he may need it. Protocol droid, you programmed for combat?"

"Heavens no! I-"

"Sorry I asked. Just get below deck and stay quiet."

"What are you planning, smuggler?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Planning?! We're being tractorred into the biggest damn imperial ship I've ever seen and I'm smuggling two wanted fugitives. This rookie kid is obviously gonna get himself killed right off the bat. All I know right now is that I'm not going back to prison, and neither is Chewie. I figure that maybe if we give the imperials 2 more targets to shoot at, there's a small chance at least one of us-"

“Haagggggahh!”

“Easy big guy!-so at least two or three of us might make it out of this alive.”

"So your plan is to use me and Obi-Wan as human shields?!"

"Just shoot the other guy first and you won’t have to block any lasers, kid."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Obi-Wan as they entered the docking bay.

The crew of the Millennium Falcon made their final preparations for a desperate and reckless combat before lowering the loading platform and waiting, for what seemed like hours, for the first boarding party to walk onboard into their impromptu ambush. After several minutes, Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber and cautiously ventured outside. There was no-one to be found. The entire docking bay was deserted. The others gradually trickled out after him. 

“Ha!” exclaimed Captain Solo, "Classic imperial incompetence! Spend all your credits on a super-weapon and the next thing you know, there’s nothin’ left to pay the crew with! Chewie, go get that R2 unit. Let's figure out which one of these consoles controls the tractor beam and get out of here before those troopers get back from their lunch break." 

"The Empire has no shortage of credits. The poor of the outer-rim worlds can attest to the scale and brutal efficiency of the imperial revenue system. This docking bay likely has its own security garrison of no less than 100 men." said Obi-Wan.

"Sounds like all the more reason to get out while we still can!"

"Something isn't right. I sense..."

Obi-Wan set out towards a cavernous corridor, his rapid gait belying a dire sense of urgency. 

"Master Kenobi!" 

"Let him go kid, old man's off his rocker! Probably never could've paid those 10,000 credits he owes me anyway. Can’t believe I let myself get suckered into helping that old charity case!"

Luke ran after Obi-Wan, who was moving very fast indeed for someone his age. Just before Luke could catch up to him, Obi-Wan waved his hand and a massive door slammed shut between the two of them.

“I don’t understand,” said Luke. Obi-Wan smiled weakly through the thick viewing glass.

“Nor do I. Nor do any of us. Sometimes the Force calls us to action without granting us understanding.”

Obi-Wan’s blue lightsaber sent sparks flying as it melted a hole through the door. 

“I don’t have the luxury of knowing what it is beyond these corridors that I must face. All I know is that there is something is dangerously wrong with the Force here.”

“Wrong how?”

“I’m not sure, I’m afraid I don’t know quite how to describe it, but every ounce of my being tells me that something isn’t right, and that countless more lives are still in danger. As a Jedi Knight, it is my duty to intervene.”

Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber, and passed it through the newly formed hole.

“This lightsaber never truly belonged to me. It calls to you now, and I sense that I no longer have need of it. You are still a Padawan, Luke. Your only duty now is to learn the ways of the Force.”

“Come on now, Ben! You can’t just-”

“You’ve proved a faithful student young Luke, and it’s only fitting that you continue your Jedi training. You must leave this space station with captain Solo and the others. As soon as you’re able, head for the Dagobah system, there is a Jedi Master living in exile there who can train you far better than I. We’ll make a Jedi Knight of you yet!”

Obi-Wan smiled, then turned his back and resumed walking. Luke, called out desperately for Ben to return. He ignited the lightsaber and began beating it against the blast doors, trying in vain to break through until a second set of blast doors closed, blocking the old Jedi from view. Frustrated and defeated, Luke threw the lightsaber against the door and slumped down against the wall holding his head in his hands in a state of disbelief. How could Ben just abandon him like that?

“Hey kid!” called Han from the Falcon’s loading ramp.

“Kid! The droids took care of the tractor beam. We’re leaving. Now!”

Luke picked up the lightsaber and ran towards the Falcon. As the loading ramp carried him up into the ship, Luke stared at the corridor Obi-Wan had left through. “Goodbye, Ben. May the Force be with you.” he said.

The Falcon cleared the docking bay without incident. No tractor beam attempted to lock on. No fighters pursued them. In the distance, just before they jumped to hyperspace, Han noticed a small cluster of TIE fighters in the distance. They were clearly engaged in a dogfight with something. At first Han couldn’t tell what they were shooting at. As he accelerated into hyperspace, it came to him. The TIEs were in a dogfight with each-other.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mercy! Please, stop!" begged Tarkin. Many of his bones were broken and he was badly burned. "Give me the command codes, and I will end your suffering." said Leia. 

"It's not so simple, if I only just," a fresh burst of lightning to his abdomen cut off the rest of the sentence.

"The codes! Now!" 

"Alright! Alright! I submit! I surrender! My authorization code is T6-K62-Eriadu,"

Leia left him for a moment to test the code out on a console. At her command the viewing chamber doors unlocked, opened, shut, and locked once more. "Please... kill me! Just kill me, I beg you!" pleaded Tarkin through his tears. Leia obliged, using the Force to snap his neck.

"Such power, I have never witnessed," marveled Vader. "Your parents... Bail Organa... is he really your father?"

"He was."

"And Breha, your birthmother?"

"Of course she is!"

"Are you certain?"

"Shut up!"

Leia shot several more bolts into Vader's already crippled body, his life support nearly failing. She felt for the first time in this rampage that she had done something wrong. A sudden pang of regret. She crept closer to Vader. She sensed a deep connection between them that had not been apparent before. "Who are you?, Who were you before-" she asked. “Search your feelings, Leia.” replied Vader. His breathing had become noticeably strained and his breaths shallower. Much of the circuitry under his suit was exposed, and his left arm was paralyzed. "I'll send for help." 

"No! My personal bodyguards have already been alerted. They will be here for me soon. We must not raise alarm unnecessarily. Quickly, you must overload the command console. Channel your hate and let the lightning flow from it!" Leia tried her best. She thought about what had just happened, about the look on Tarkin's face as he gave the order. A million faces ran through her mind, screaming as the blast wave vaporized them.

"Stop! That's too much!"

Her dark visions disappeared abruptly. The console was fried. The liquified metal around it glowed orange. "What's going on up there?" said a scrambled voice on the barely functional intercom. 

"This is Lord Vader. The command console on this viewing deck overloaded and exploded shortly after the weapon was fired. Governor Tarkin and his security detail are in critical condition. High casualties likely. I am injured and in stable condition. I want to know the names of the technicians responsible for the maintenance of this sector. Upon my recovery I wish to educate them."

"Of course, my lord. Medical team en-route."

“You still haven’t answered my question. Who are you?” she asked. 

"Leia, my name is Anakin Skywalker, and you are my daughter. When they... put me into this armor, Palpatine told me that I had killed your mother, Padme Amidala and you within her-” Vader’s voice was unsteady, vulnerable. “-in a fit of rage!.” He jumped to his feet, ripped what was left of his left arm from his torso and smashed it down on the floor. “I’ve hated Anakin Skywalker ever since then. For 19 years I hunted Anakin down, killing him piece by piece, trying to avenge your deaths. Now, I know the truth.”

Leia’s became wide with shock. Her feelings told her that Vader’s words were true, but they wouldn’t allow her to ignore the fact that this same man was personally responsible for the deaths of thousands of her comrades, and complicit in the destruction of Alderaan. Before she had time to evaluate his revelations and respond, Vader's bodyguards rushed in from the elevator. 

"Take Senator Organna to the holding cell on deck 37-A. Make note of any personnel who see you escorting her there. Senator Organa was never here. Do you understand?," said Vader.

"Yes, Lord Vader."

Without delay, Leia’s hands were placed in binders and she was being escorted to another cell. She felt a fresh anger and with it, an awareness of its potential energy. “If I want to, I can take this anger, and I can snap their necks with it,” she thought. She didn’t just think it. She knew it.

“You must learn to control the flow of the Force.” Vader told her as their minds briefly connected through the Force. “The Force courses through us as water does the continents of water-rich planets. Wherever it flows, it deepens the valleys, and smooths its course. It erodes. But if too much flows at once, you cause a flood, and you cannot control the course of a flood. Use your abilities only if you have no other choice, at least until you are better able to control them.”

“I’m not your daughter,” replied Leia. “My father was Bail Organa, and your Empire killed him!”

“For my own part I regret that I did not discover your identity sooner. I never would have allowed that to happen! But right now, we need each other's’ help. The crew are fiercely loyal to Palpatine. We cannot stay on this battle-station for long. Eventually they will discover the truth, and neither of us will be safe once they do. As soon as I have informed the Emperor of Tarkin’s death, I shall send for you and we will depart.”

“Why didn’t you just tell them what happened and go back onto your leash? Why do you even care? Just because you were a sperm donor to a woman I never met, you think that makes us family?!”

“I might not be your father to you, but you are still my daughter to me.”

“Two hours ago you oversaw my torture. Then you stood by and did nothing as my planet was destroyed. You are dead to me! Get out of my head!” Leia cut off the force connection to him, preventing any reply.

Leia and Vader’s guards reached the cell on deck 37-A which she entered hesitantly.These new powers… only the ancient Sith could shoot lightning from their fingers at will. It was obvious to her that she was no Sith, but why was this happening to her and why now? An explanation, what appeared to be the only possible explanation, manifested itself in her mind. “The Empire inflicted death on an unprecedented scale, and annihilated my homeworld. This power is the equal and opposite reaction. The Force wills me to eliminate the imperial threat once and for all, and so I shall!” 

What about Vader? Leia stared at the cell door for a long time, but couldn’t decide whether or not to tear it open and continue her rampage now, or stay put and try to escape along with Vader. Exhausted and overwhelmed by the firestorm still raging inside of her mind, she decided only to take a short rest. Leia closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

As Vader was lowered into the bacta tank, he felt something new along with the familiar sting of the healing fluid on his fresh burns. He felt, for the first time in his life, old. For so many years he had toiled away haplessly for the Empire, acting out the role of Palpatine’s chief executioner, an only half willing subordinate. So much of his body had been replaced with prostheses, most officers he worked with barely seemed to perceive him as another sentient. To them, he was just another weapon, or worse, a monster. 

Vader had come to see himself in much the same way. He had traded in his humanity long ago, and in exchange, no Jedi remained who could rival his power. Through his connection to the dark side, pain was transformed into a valuable resource, fear into a weapon, and hatred into an inexhaustible fuel propelling him through history as he welded disperate chaos into modern, industrial, imperial, order. A fair exchange, but a costly one nonetheless. 

As his body was submerged, he could swear he felt his arms and legs burning into useless coals as they had on Mustafar so many years ago. He remembered vividly the first time he awoke in his new mechanical body. Palpatine was there at his side. The first thing Vader asked him was “Is she alright?”, was Padme safe? The bathda tank began shaking and the the liquid’s temperature rose almost to the boiling point.

All these years, Vader had hated himself for killing the beings he most loved. Now he knew the truth. Many terrible things though he was, he was never Padme’s murderer. What had happened to Padme before she died all those years ago? She survived long enough to have Leia, but how much longer was that? Was Palpatine aware that Leia was in fact his daughter? 

There was a knock on the bacta tank. 

“Lord Vader-”

“Not now!”

“My Lord, Emperor Palpatine is on holo and wishes to speak with you immediately.”

Vader’s regeneration cycle was barely half complete when his body was lifted out of the bacta tank and into the cold re-scrubbed air of the med bay. The massive blue projection of Palpatine’s face glared down at him.

“I am informed that Tarkin has been killed.”

“It is true, my master.”

Palpatine squinted, studying Vader’s pale and deformed visage with unusual scrutiny.

“What happened?”

“The engineers report there was a power surge on the viewing deck when the weapon was fired. My suit was incapacitated. Tarkin and his men-”

“The engineers report this?”

“Yes, my master.”

“Curious…. Chief Engineering Officer Mel Koani reported no aberrant power surges anywhere on the station during or immediately after the firing sequence.”

“I shall instruct our engineers to investigate the situation more thoroughly at once.”

“See that you do… and Vader,” Palpatine leaned in close, his face taking up nearly half the med-bay. “What is the status of Princess Organa, did she survive this… power surge?”

Vader longed for the security of his mask. His heart raced and it took all his discipline and focus to prevent his face from revealing the rage boiling within his heart.

“Governor Tarkin thought it best to retain Princess Organa in a holding cell during the ignition test. She is uninjured.”

“That’s utterly unlike Tarkin! He always makes them watch!”

Vader clenched fists that were no longer there as tightly as he could. He wanted nothing more than to rip the rotten flesh from that hideous holographic face. In as dispassionate a voice as he could muster, Vader concocted a plausible explanation for Leia’s absence.

“Princess Organa became hysterical and began screaming. Governor Tarkin remarked that her incessant screeching was not the proper accompaniment to such an historic occasion.”

“Pathetic! And I thought Tarkin was one of the few left who still had an ear for real music! Before Princess Organa was detained, did she identify the location of the rebel base?”

“She claims their main base is on Dantooine, my master,”

“Hmm, I have my doubts. I will arrange for further reconnaissance. In the meantime, have the Princess interrogated again. We can’t use Alderaan as leverage anymore, so you’ll have to rely solely on physical pain. Push her hard; kill her if you have to. Whatever information she’s withholding, I want it extracted!”

“As you command, Emperor.”

As soon as the holo cut off the bacta tank shattered and boiling hot bacta flew around the room. The metal walls shuddered with Vader’s rage as it spilled from his mind into the reality through the Force. The Sith Lord, still weak from his injuries, and lacking the stabilizing effect of his respiratory support system, overexerted himself in this fit of rage so much that he fainted and lost consciousness for several minutes. When he came to his men had repaired and re-assembled his suit. 

“Lord Vader, at Emperor Palpatine’s personal command, Princess Organa is being moved from her cell into an interrogation unit off the main brigg. What are your orders, sir?”

Vader reached out, summoned his lightsaber to his hand and ignited it. 

“Watch the rear flank. Don’t fall behind. Destroy any who contest our advance.”


	5. Chapter 5

Leia lay restlessly on the metal cot in the prison cell. She could not stop re-living the moment of Alderaan’s destruction. The explosion behind the window, the screams, the feeling of being vaporized in milliseconds repeated millions of times over with subtle individual variation. Her hatred of the Empire burned hotter with each passing moment. 

Eventually, she managed to concentrate on a more pleasant memory: The way Tarkin’s neck had snapped just like a twig. The utterly defeated and terrified look on his face when she did it. What a rush she had felt as his filthy soul shattered into a billion pieces to wander aimlessly through the abyss forevermore! Nonetheless, the pain of Alderaan’s loss remained with her.

The brig door opened and four stormtroopers entered. “You’re being transferred, Vader’s orders.” Leia assumed that this was all part of Vader’s plan to get them off the Death Star, so she did not resist when the restraints were placed tightly around her wrists, nor did she react quickly enough to prevent the syringe of sedative finding its way into her neck.

When she awoke, she had been strapped into an interrogation chair and was now staring up into a hologram of Palpatine’s unhooded face projected from the low ceiling. An attendant wearing the uniform of an imperial palace servant briefly entered the holo to deliver a steaming cup of tea. Palpatine methodically maneuvered the cup and saucer to a resting place out of the holo’s view before he saw that Leia had regained consciousness. It was hard for her to discern any emotion from his horribly mangled face, but Leia sensed an inquisitiveness from the other side of the projection. Palpatine picked up his tea and blew on it, then took a small sip before addressing her.

“Dear child, I am deeply sorry for the circumstances under which we must meet today.” 

“What the hell is going on?”

“I understand you’re upset. It’s only natural, after what Tarkin did to your homeworld. I want you to know that he disobeyed orders and will be posthumously stripped of his rank and title. I should have known he was too impulsive to command a weapon of this caliber, but I never could have predicted that he would do the unthinkable. I cannot imagine what you must be going through now.”

Leia stared intently at the projection. What was the purpose of this interview? Why was Palpatine being so diplomatic?

“I want you to know that we’re taking the necessary measures to ensure that this sort of tragedy never happens again.”

“My entire planet is dead!”

The lights flickered and the holo connection briefly cut out. 

“At times like these, my dear, I find comfort in the knowledge that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The energy of the people you once knew still flows, through the Force.”

“You sound like a Jedi, or some Church of the Force preacher! Are you going to lift the ban on Force worship and Jedi veneration?”

Palpatine scowled, and put aside his tea. “Careful, my dear, you’re in no position to advise anyone on sensitive matters of policy.”

An interrogation droid and one imperial soldier in a black uniforms and helmet entered the room.

“I cannot correct Tarkin’s horrible mistake, but with your help I can ensure that it never has to be repeated. The Rebel Alliance insists on opposing the just rule of the Empire, and so long as it does we must do whatever is necessary to ensure peace in the galaxy. Just imagine how many worlds they would destroy given a battlestation of their own!”

“I know they would never destroy a whole planet just to scare people!”

Palpatine scowled at her as he entered some commands on a console embedded in the armrest of his throne.

“You know nothing of fear...” he said.

The interrogation droid began filling its syringe with an opaque teal liquid, blistermelt. Rebel spies called it “suicide serum” owing to the extremely high rate of suicide among those unlucky enough to survive a heavy dose. Leia pulled against her restraints instinctively.

“...but you will learn!” said Palpatine, grinning with a sickening anticipation.

“If you had been honest with us from the start, all of this could have been avoided. Tell us where the rebel’s new base really is, and I’ll spare you, I’ll even grant a full pardon to any three rebel prisoners of your choosing once the rebellion has been crushed. You can retain your title as an Imperial Princess, and I’ll personally see to it that you never lack for any material comfort. Or…”

The droid began moving toward her, the needle pointing at her right arm as Palpatine’s tone became wrathful.

“I will make you envy Alderaan’s dead until I mercifully allow you to join them!”

Her heart pumped as fast as a gatling blaster. Her palms sweat and all she could think about was the approaching needle and the liquid pain it contained. Every fiber of her being screamed out “No!” In an instant, Leia’s restraints snapped, the interrogation droid was spun around and pushed violently into the chest of the guard. The screams he uttered were like those of an animal being cooked alive. Her lighting soon found its mark on the holo emitter. The gobsmacked look on Palpatine’s face as the transmission cut off told her that he now knew what she truly was. The screaming guard struggled to unholster his blaster. Leia turned her back to him. She sensed precisely what his intentions were. As she forced the cell-door open and set out into the brig’s main hallway, a single blaster shot put an end to the trooper’s tortured cries.

Now another sound captured Leia’s attention. Rapid blaster fire, scuffling feet, cracking ribs, and something else, a strange oscillating “vrrrr”, what she would soon learn to be the sound of a lightsaber. She ran toward the noise as fast as she could. In the brig’s cafeteria, she found the source of the commotion. Vader choked the life out of the last officer as his guard shot blasters through the heads of the motionless stormtroopers that littered the floor.

“Where is she?” she heard Vader demand as she entered. As the Sith Lord’s gaze fell upon her, the officer dropped to the ground and clutched desperately at his neck. Vader deactivated his lightsaber, returned it to his belt, and took a tentative step toward her. To Leia’s own surprise, she ran over and embraced him. Tears filled her eyes as she buried her face in the cold metal armor of Vader’s shoulder. 

“What am I? What the hell am I?”

“All that matters now is that you are safe.”

“They killed them all! They killed my whole family!”

“No, they failed to do that! I can never replace the parents you mourn now, but I am also your family. You are all that’s left of mine, and I will never betray my family again!” 

Vader gently lifted her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She felt as if she was looking beyond the mask and into Vader’s soul itself. Dark Lord though he was, she knew that there was no deception in his words. Right now, there was only one thing in this universe that meant anything at all to him, and that was her, his daughter. And although Bail Organa would forever be her true father, Vader was family too, and that meant something. She felt it to be true.

“Palpatine betrayed us both,” said Vader as he placed his hands on Leia’s shoulders. “He betrayed our family. His armies are strong, but together,” Vader placed Leia’s hands inside of his and squeezed. “We will be stronger!”

“Alright then,” said Leia. “What’s the plan?”

Vader started walking at a rapid pace and motioned for the others to follow. Leia jogged to Vader’s side and repeated her question.

“The plan... is mutiny.”

“You really think any of these imperial army brats are going to mutiny?”

“Most stormtroopers are extremely susceptible to Force suggestion, although most of the Death Star’s garrison has been screened against that vulnerability. However, we still have two advantages.”

“What kind of advantages?”

“A politician-” Vader pointed at her. “-and a terrified population.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi Wan stopped walking, closed his eyes, and reached out with his feelings. Far above him, somewhere in the innermost decks of the Death Star, he felt something; a dark knot in the fabric of the Force, distorting the pattern of everything else around it. As Obi Wan’s mind focussed more narrowly on the knot itself, images of bloodshed and an unrelenting desire for retribution filled his mind. He saw an imperial officer’s skull shatter into a hundred fragments and fall to the floor in a pool of blood, stormtroopers’ bodies being snapped like straw and tossed aside like rag dolls. Obi Wan returned his awareness to his own body, deeply shaken by what he had just seen. 

He looked up at the ceiling in the direction of the disturbance. “What sort of foul enterprise is this?” he wondered aloud. Stealthily, Obi Wan made his way to the lift and selected the innermost deck available without a passcode. “Whatever’s up there, it’s dangerous, and it’s growing more powerful by the second!”


	6. Chapter 6

Earlier that day, in one of the Death Star’s mess halls:

 

“Goddammit Corvyn, I don’t know why I always lose these stupid bets to you!” declared a burly helmetless stormtrooper.

“Which bet, mate?”asked Corvyn.

Lt. Colonel Corvyn Tillis was a short, quite muscular human male around 40 or so with dark brown skin, black slicked back hair and an aquiline nose.

“Two months ago, I bet you 50 credits we wouldn’t have shore leave for at least another 6 months. Look out the window!” said burly.

Corvyn got up from his bench in the cafeteria and walked toward a window on the Death Star’s dish side.

“Alderaan?,” Corvyn could hardly believe his eyes.

“Damn straight!” the burly trooper thrust a 50 credit piece into Corvyn’s hands. “If it wasn’t for you swindling me out of my money I’d be down there drinking like a Kesselian spice merchant right now! Do me a favor, go down to the surface and tell your girlfriend I said hi!”

“Piss off.” said Corvyn customarily as the man walked away.

“Alderaan wasn’t on any bloody flightplan I was aware of,” Corvyn muttered to himself tensely. “What the hell are we doing here?”

Corvyn pulled himself away from the window and walked to a communication console at the opposite end of the cafeteria, and dialed an extension. 

“This is Shuttle Bay 9,”

“This is Tillis. Schafford, down there now?”

“Flight Controller Schafford is…”

There was an indistinct dialogue followed by shuffling noises on the other end before Schafford got on the comm.

“...never too busy to talk to my favorite lieutenant colonel!”

“Schafford, what’s the chance you can spare a TIE fighter for a couple hours so I can go down to the surface for a little R and R in with the missus?”

“Oh no... are you saying your wife is still down there?”

“Course she is! Can you spare a fighter or not?”

“Corvyn I don’t know how to tell you this mate but-”

Before Schafford could finish, Corvyn heard a familiar noise. The Death Star’s six reactor cores were revving up to fire the main weapon. Corvyn walked back to the window. “No bloody way!” he gasped in disbelief. Moments later, his homeworld and his family were blasted to oblivion.

Corvyn collapsed on the windowframe. “Jenara! No!” he cried. The rest of the mess hall’s occupants stared transfixed upon Corvyn. Most of them knew who he was. As a decorated fighter pilot he was widely respected among the rank and file. “What the hell is this? Scarriff was one thing, the troopers there failed to protect the facility, but Alderaan… What the hell did they do? What has Alderaan ever done? Bloody what?!” He shouted, enraged. As he looked around the room he saw nothing but fear in the eyes of his helmetless comrades. Corvyn slammed a metal mess tray to the floor as hard as he could. 

“Alderaan has been continuously inhabited by humans for over 20,000 years! It hasn’t fielded its own military for over 2,000! You can’t tell me that we were some kind of threat! Forward Base Arasek was on Alderaan, huge garrison there! 400,000 of our own troops just got fucking blasted!”

The doors opened and 4 tall elite troopers in black uniforms entered the cafeteria. One of them was carrying a pair of binders. They marched towards Corvyn.

“Is this what you signed up for? Slaughtering your own civillians? Your comrades’ own families?” Corvyn shouted as he maneuvered away from the black-uniformed elites. 

“Is this what the fuck you signed up for!” One of the elite troopers fired a stun wave from his blaster, sending Corvyn stumbling to the floor. Another advanced and struck Corvyn’s upper back with the stock of his blaster as Corvyn tried to regain his feet. Then the third one placed the binders on his wrists.

“Insubordinate attitudes will not be tolerated!” declared the 4th in electronically garbled speech only a few of the officers present were able to understand. As the elite troopers dragged Corvyn off, the cafeteria’s patrons whispered amongst themselves and meekly pecked at their rations.

“Just wait... “ said Corvyn as he was dragged out into the hall. “Next time it could be your world!” 

A ferocious blow struck the back of Corvyn’s head, knocking him unconscious. 

When Corvyn regained his senses, he was sitting with his arms restrained in an interrogation unit in the main brig. The individual standing above him was wearing the black open-faced helmet of a Brig Warden. The Warden twitched suddenly when he realized that Corvyn was awake. He shined a glaringly bright light into each of Corvyn’s eyes, then opened the door. A wiry middle aged man in a Major’s unifom entered the interrogation unit. Corvyn glared at him.

“What the hell are you doing here, Stern?” asked Corvyn

.“I never thought it would be this easy!” said Major Stern. “I can’t believe my luck! I’m now the sole contraband smuggler operating out of SB-9 and I didn’t even have to murder you!”

“How can you think of business at a time like this!” said Corvyn. “We swore an oath to defend the Empire, that means we exist to serve and protect the imperial people! Don’t you realize that this station just slaughtered 2 billion of them!” 

“Oh I realize precisely what that means!” said Stern gleefully.

“The whole crew is going to get bonus pay! Probably a permanent salary raise to boot. That means I can charge double on everything from pipeflower to rancor tears!”

Stern jabbed Corvyn’s cheek with an electric prod and Corvyn reared back in pain.

“I paid the Warden 500 credits just to play around with you a little before the real interrogation begins, and so far it looks like it was worth every decimal!”

“Five minutes, then 200 credits for each additional minute.” said the Warden dispassionately. 

Stern shocked Corvyn several more times, laughing and mocking his victim’s pained grunts and grimaces.

“30 seconds left,” said the Warden.

“Oh I think we’ll be needing at least another minute. This is turning out to be quite the tearful farewell!”

Corvyn defiantly looked Stern straight in the eyes. “When they finally bring you in for smuggling, I bet you’ll scream like a little girl! I bet you don’t last 10 seconds without giving up all your co-conspirators! I’d bet my force-forsaken fucking pension on iiiit!”

“Ha! I’m going to enjoy this!” said Stern as he revved up the prod to max power and slowly began inching it toward Corvyn. This time there was no shock. “Are you kidding me, Warden! You gave me a dud prod! This doesn’t count, rewind the clock!”

“It counts. Figure out something else or leave. Your current bill is 700 credits.”

“Fine!” huffed Stern.

“What’s the matter, mate, gone and broken your fancy little toy have you?” said Corvyn.

Stern scowled and struck Corvyn’s jaw with his fist. His technique was horrible. Immediately Stern winced in pain and retracted his hand.

“Unbelievable. I don’t know how you made it all the way to Major with a right cross like that. Gotta keep your wrist straight. You’re liable to hurt yourself otherwise. Let me out of these cuffs and I’d be happy to give you a lesson.” 

“800 credits.”

“Just you wait Corvyn, within the hour I’ll see you crushed inside of the garbage compactor and ejected out into the cold unforgiving-”

The comm system came on abruptly, cutting Stern off. A voice Corvyn recognized from news holos began to speak.

“This is Senator Leia Organa of Alderaan…. Formerly of Alderaan. I know that when you joined the Imperial Navy, you all had your reasons. Some of you wanted to get away from ordinary lives on your old worlds. Most of you just needed the money. But all of you left believing that someday, you could go home, or that at the very least, that the people you left behind would be safe. You thought that someday you would go back to your mother and father, your sons and daughters and that you would be able to tell them not to worry, because you had kept the galaxy safe through the hegemony of the Empire. The great promise of the Empire, from the very beginning, was security. We gave all the power to Palpatine because he promised to use it to protect us. Today, we have learned what that ‘protection’ really looks like. Alderaan may not have been the most loyal world, but it was firmly under imperial control. Our imperial garrison had over 500,000 troopers stationed on it. Were any of them evacuated? Were their families?”

“What is this bleeding-heart crap, I always hated that stupid Alderaanian bitch! So glad they dissolved the Senate!” commented Stern. The Warden chuckled approvingly.

“900 credits,” said the Warden. 

Leia’s tone became more severe as she continued. 

“To Palpatine, your world is nothing but fuel, and fuel is useless until it’s burned. Alderaan was just a demonstration. If you think he will hesitate to use this weapon again, you are a fool and a coward! If any of you are true soldiers, your true allegiance is not to Palpatine, but to your own worlds and your own families. If this can happen to Alderaan, it can happen to any other world. It will happen. Unless... we stop it. If you are a true defender of your homeworld, mark your head and chest with an X and join the invincible fleet of Admiral Leia Organa. Once you capture a key area, such as reactor core, or a flight deck, hold your position and await my orders. Kill any who lack the courage to join our mutiny! Bring me victory and I promise, your worlds will be protected!”

“We shall not suffer the existence of cowards who refuse to stand up to the Emperor, join us, or die!” said Lord Vader.

As the transmission ended, the room’s doors opened and the interrogation chair’s restraints automatically released, but the binders on Corvyn’s wrists remained locked. Instantly Corvyn sprung to his feet and thrust the binders forward into Stern’s nose, breaking it. 

The Warden drew his blaster and fired. Corvyn dodged the first shot, and blocked the second one with the binders, melting them in half. Before the warden could fire a third one, Corvyn closed the gap and pinned him against the wall, driving a series of knees into his abdomen until he dropped the blaster. Stern tried to scramble across the floor to it, but Corvyn stomped on his hand as he stretched out to reach it. Stern screeched pathetically. Corvyn bent down, picked up the blaster and pressed it against Stern’s head.

“Looks like you should’ve invested those thousand credits in something less volatile, mate.” said Corvyn as he pulled the trigger. 

“1,000 credits!” were the Warden’s last words. 

Corvyn was about to walk out of the room when a blaster bolt sped past the entrance going from left to right, followed by several more bolts fired in the opposite direction.

“Hey!” shouted Corvyn. “Who the hell is shooting?”

“Who the hell are you?” shouted a voice from across the hall to his left.

“Stop resisting! All mutineers will have their pensions appropriated and serve no less than 25 years forced labor. Surrender now or you’re blaster fodder!” came a voice amplified through a stormtrooper helmet from about 35m down the walkway to the right.

“How many of them are there?” shouted Corvyn toward the left.

“At least five! You got a blaster?”

“Yeah! Your six clear?”

“Chrystal!”

“I need some cover fire on your side of the hallway… now!”

Corvyn crouched down just outside the doorway. As the man across the hall to the left began shooting, Corvyn took a deep breath, then extended into the hall just enough to get a few shots on three of the loyalist troopers at the end of the corridor. Corvyn pulled himself back in just in time to evade the return volley.

“Three down! Two remaining.”

“Roger that!”

“Wait! Hold on, we want to join! We want to join!” shouted one of the two troopers to the right.

“Mark yourselves with the X like she said!” ordered Corvyn. “Then walk towards me with blasters holstered and hands on your head!”

“Yes sir!”

The troopers did as they were commanded, marking their gear with the blood of their fallen comrades. Once they reached Corvyn’s cell, they recognized him immediately.

“Corvyn Tillis! I told you mutiny was the right call!” 

Corvyn walked out into the hall where dozens of newly freed prisoners were gathering behind him. The way forward was clear for now. A large set of blast doors opened onto the main hall and a large group of fully armed mutineers entered and started distributing blasters to the unarmed prisoners. A smile crossed Corvyn’s lips.

“It’s our lucky day, lads,” he said addressing the crowd. “For the first time in your deployment you’re being given a chance to perform your real duty. We all took the same oath ‘...to execute the will of the Emperor, to protect all the worlds within his domain.’ before Palpatine made himself Emperor at the end of the clone wars, the clones had a slightly different oath. Theirs was ‘...to be the shield of the Republic, the sabre of justice, with my life and my death I pledge to protect the sentient inhabitants of the Republic.’ Bit of a mouthful that one.”

Corvyn spit a mixture of blood and saliva onto the floor.

“If any of you star-salted bastards are real warriors, I’ve got a new oath for you.”

Corvyn raised his right hand and began ceremoniously ‘I, Corvyn Tillis pledge my life and my loyalty to Leia Organa of Alderaan, Supreme Admiral of the Death Star and Protector of the Homeworlds... Now who’s with me!”

A raucous cheer erupted from all corners of the brig, and Corvyn led the mutineers down a wide passage leading to the core decks.


	7. Chapter 7

“This is General Cassio Tagge, senior commanding officer of the Death Star,” echoed the looping message through the dimly lit and otherwise silent corridor now littered with imperial corpses. “Senator Organa and Lord Vader have betrayed the Empire and are now attempting a mutiny. All officers are hereby authorized to deploy maximum deadly force against any staff suspected of mutinous missconduct. The Emperor is offering a 500 credit bounty for every confirmed kill. Let’s remind these cowards the reason the Empire commands respect and obedience across the galaxy!”

Deep within the Death Star, on Deck 1137B, Leia, Vader, and a small group of mutineers were making quick work of the local garrison. Despite Vader’s injuries, the old Sith moved about swiftly, deftly parrying all the bolts shot at him. Leia found that she took great pleasure in using the Force to destroy the bodies of her adversaries. While at first she had needed to concentrate on unpleasant memories and emotions to summon her power, now it was as if death and destruction simply flowed through her.

A gatling turret dropped down in front of the wide blast doors blocking access to the main flight deck. “Get down!” shouted one of the mutineers. Leia dodged just before a hail of blaster bolts downed a large cluster of mutineers behind her. She used the force to rip the turret from the ceiling, pulling so hard it tore a hole in the ceiling 2m wide. Vader plunged his lightsaber into the blast doors and began melting a hole through them.

“Leave this to me,” Leia told him. “Form up behind me and prepare to fire at will!” 

Leia grasped the doors through the Force. “Just like paper,” she thought as she ripped the 3m thick doors apart. She pulled herself out of harm’s way just in time to avoid a hail of blaster bolts from both sides. 

“Hold your fire!” Vader commanded. The sounds of blaster fire could be heard from inside the bridge, but no bolts were being shot at the attackers. Lightsaber ready, Vader stepped through the mangled blast doors into the flight deck’s entryway, effortlessly sending blaster bolts back into the bodies of those foolish enough to fire at him. An elite trooper weilding a knife with a lasered blade jumped out and engaged Vader briefly at close quarters before Leia force-pushed him across the room, breaking every bone in his back as she hurled him into the corner of the navigation display. 

The mutineers charged in behind Vader, and quickly overwhelmed the remaining defenders. Moments later, only three survivors remained, General Tagge and two flight deck officers, one of whom was a pretty young woman holding a blaster aimed at Tagge’s head “Communications Officer Tara Boland, at your service, Commander Organa!” she said as she holstered the blaster and crossed her arms in an X, making a slight bow to Leia. The other deck officer held his hands above his head in surrender and was in need of a fresh pair of pants. 

Tagge was a small and unremarkable man with reddish hair in an unflattering bowl cut, and ruddy cheeks that turned bright red whenever he drank. Right now they were crimson. 

Vader deactivated his lightsaber and returned it to his side. “General Cassio Tagge,” he said circling around the three survivors of the bridge crew. “You are loyal to a fault.” 

“Looks that way doesn’t it,” Tagge said with drunken laughter. “What happens next-” he belched involuntarily “-Lord Vader?”

One of the mutineers placed Tagge and the loyalist flight deck officer in binders.

As for what was next, Vader had already concocted a short term plan. “Now that we have assumed control of the Death Star,” he said. “it is time to consolidate our forces and acquire a defensible territory as free of imperial interference as possible. We must take into consideration the distribution of strategic resources, access to plunderable trade routes-”

“No-” interrupted Leia. “We take the fight to them. Start calculating a hyperspace jump to Coruscant.”

“Have you lost your mind!” shouted Tagge. “There’s a huge fleet in the Coruscant system for wargames right now! The orbital defense systems are the best in the entire galaxy! Do you have some kind of death wish!”

“General Tagge is correct,” said Vader. “Powerful as this battlestation is, it is not fully manned and has no supporting fleet. The odds of victory are too low, the risk too high. We must regroup and wait for a more strategically-”

“We can win,” said Leia, unmoved. She projected her voice, speaking to the entire bridge as she gestured emphatically. “You all sense it! If we run and hide and start licking our wounds now, we’ll never catch up to the Empire. They control nearly the whole galaxy. How long will it take them to build another Death Star? 2 years? 3? How long will it take them to upgrade Coruscant’s defence systems, or to shuttle the Emperor and his cronies off to some distant hideaway? Any progress we make on our own Empire will quickly be outpaced by his. There is no better time to strike the Emperor down than right now. This is our destiny!”

“Destiny,” said Vader. “Is all too often the path to ruin, Senator.”

“I’m with her!” shouted a voice from behind them. Leia and the others turned around to see Corvyn Tillis and two helmetless mutineers approaching them. “And if Destiny is the path to ruin as you say, Lord Vader, let’s make sure it leads to the Empire’s ruin!” A moderate cheer went up from around half the bridge’s occupants. Not everyone was so eager for further combat.

Corvyn looked familiar to Leia. She thought for a moment, then remembered having seen his face in a propaganda holo a month ago. “You’re a pilot,” she said.

“Aye, milady.”

“Are you familiar with the Death Star’s navigational systems? The previous navigator was killed in the mutiny.”

Corvyn made his way to a large console in the center right of the bridge, flipped a few switches and after a series of beeps said “I reckon I can, yeah. Coruscant it is then?”

“Stop right there!” commanded Vader as he gripped Corvyn’s neck in a force chokehold. “Our destination has not yet been decided, officer. You shall do nothing until the final order is given.” 

Corvyn clutched his neck and gasped for air after Vader released him. 

“He must like you,” chuckled Tagge. “First time he did that to me I-” Tagge hiccupped. “-nearly suffocated!”

“Lord Vader,” said Leia in a firm and authoritative tone. “Do not forget who is in command.”

Vader spun around to face her. How dare she! She was his offspring; she should be taking his advice without question, especially when her own plans were in essence suicidal! Leia could sense his anger growing.

“Senator,” said Vader, failing to conceal the note of contempt in his voice. “I strongly advise another strategy.”

The two of them stared at each other for a long, tense moment.

“What if we could attack Coruscant within a week, with a full garrison?” Leia proposed.

“Unless you’re planning to raise the dead, there’s no chance of that.” said Tagge.

“If the Rebel Alliance is willing to join our assault, our chance of victory would be much better.” said Leia.

“The entirety of the Rebel Alliance is still no match for Coruscant’s defense force. You must stop this impudent excursion into fantasy and-” Vader’s insubordinate words were cut short. The entire bridge looked on as his quivering body levitated into the air. A muffled choke could be heard through his vocal apparatus. After a few seconds, Leia released him, and he landed on the floor with a resounding thud. Leia bent down next to him. 

“That was your final warning,” she said quietly. “Do not ever question me in front of the soldiers again. This is my ship. You are under my command. You will not speak your opinions on this bridge again without my explicit permission. Is that clear?”

Vader nodded his head. He remained in a kneeling position pawing at his neck as Leia walked to the center of the room and eased herself into the ostentatious commander’s chair. “Navigator, set course for Yavin IV and prepare to jump to hyperspace.”


	8. Chapter 8

“How much longer until we reach Yavin?”

“5 standard hours, Admiral Organa.” said Corvyn.

“Have you intercepted any more imperial communications?”

“Only propaganda holos. Palpatine’s been broadcasting an emergency message throughout the Empire. Says you and Vader conspired with the Rebel Alliance to capture the Death Star, and that you destroyed Alderaan when they refused to swear fealty to the rebellion.” replied Tara.

“You think the people believe him?”

“I think-” began Tara cautiously. “-that this whole galaxy is terrified right now. Everyone knows that Alderaan has been destroyed. They know that this weapon exists now. They know that the danger is real. If Palpatine has this power, that’s all the more reason to fall in line and do what he says. If he doesn’t, the only protection the citizens of the Empire have against it is the Imperial Navy. Either way, rebelling is the last thing on their minds right now.” 

“What about rebel communications?”

“The rebels are pretty quiet at the moment. With the encryption codes you provided I was only able to intercept a few mundane logistical requests from vessels in the Yavin system, but not much else.”

“Permission to speak, Admiral,” requested Vader.

“Speak.”

“The worlds of the outer and mid-rim are filled with dissenters. The Empire’s propaganda is not trusted in those regions. I suggest making our way through the most heavily exploited systems and-”

“Thank you for your input, Lord Vader. We will continue with my original plan.”

“Yes, my master,” said Vader automatically. In all the scenarios he could have imagined being re-united with his child, he never suspected that he would become subordinate to them. Although he resented Leia’s arrogance, her power was unassailable, and even if it were possible to kill her, that was not something he was interested in right now. “We have a common enemy. We seek vengeance upon the same man, and only together may we achieve iIf I must serve a master, Leia is far better than that lying serpent, Palpatine!” he reminded himself silently.

One of the mutineers entered the flight deck and spoke.

“Admiral, we have taken an unusual stowaway into custody.”

“What sort of stowaway?”

“A human male, approximately 65 standard years old. No weapons, no money, no electronics. We have no idea how he came aboard.”

“Have you questioned him?”

“He claims be be a Jedi Knight called Obi-Wan Kenobi. He says he is here on your orders.”

“Where is he now?”

“A holding cell on deck 955.”

“Corvyn, I’m leaving you in charge of the bridge while I’m away. If anything happens, let me know at once.”

“Aye, Admiral.”

When Leia arrived at the holding cell, she found Obi-Wan sitting cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed, his fingers pressed against each other in a meditative pose. As he looked up at her, a calm, but burdened expression came over his face. He looked up at her with sympathy in his blue-gray eyes.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to Alderaan in time, my dear. I have truly never witnessed such profound tragedy.”

Leia reached out her hand to help the old man off of the floor onto a sitting position on the bunk.

“I’m so glad to see you’re alive! Most of the people I know are just gone now… what happened to the plans?”

“I can’t be certain. My travelling companions departed with them during your mutiny.”

Leia exhaled anxiously. How much did Obi-Wan know? Without another word, the old Jedi closed his eyes and gently placed one hand over Leia’s forehead, and the other just under the back of her skull. A moment later Obi-Wan’s eyelids flew open and he jolted back instinctively to the opposite side of the bunk. Slowly he shifted back toward Leia again, drawn by a fearful curiosity. There was no mistaking it now. Her face bore mild damage from misdirected Force lightning. A yellowness had just begun to creep into the edges of the whites of her eyes.

“Leia, all I ask is that you listen to what I have to say. You can do with me whatever you like with me afterwards.”

This was not going to be the reunion she had hoped for.

“I too am responsible in part, for what is happening to you now. I knew Anakin, your biological father, before he fell to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader. I knew that you would almost certainly possess a strong sensitivity to the Force. I could have hidden you away on some isolated world, far from the political intrigues of the Empire. But instead I chose to give you to Bail and Breha Organa, because they loved you and I thought that a royal life would be easy and relatively free from the temptations of the Dark Side. How naive and foolish I was!”

“It’s alright. I’m certain you did as the Force willed.” Leia placed a hand on top of Obi-Wan’s. “I wouldn’t trade my family, or my life on Alderaan for anything else! I could never blame you for anything!”

“The Force has no ego, therefore it cannot will anything. As the Force flows through us it can only do so according to our will. The reason I came here today is because you sent me a message asking for my help. I can see that you are in far more desperate need of it now than you were when you sent the message. I’m deeply worried for you, my dear girl.” 

“Don’t be. If you want to help, your should join our crew, I have no doubt your skills and knowledge would prove useful.”

“Even if I were convinced that your cause is a just one, the only help I’ve come to offer you is of a very far more important nature.” Obi-Wan held Leia’s extended hand tightly in his own and and locked his eyes with hers as he spoke, pleading for her to listen. “There is a tendency to refer to the Force in terms of Light and Dark. Though a useful metaphor, this obscures the fact that the Force is a unitary source of energy created by all life-forms in the galaxy. However, the way in which the Force manifests itself through the actions of the Force wielder takes on vastly different forms according to the state of mind the Force wielder is in. The Force is like a pure beam of light and we Force Sensitives are possess a complex system of mirrors, and lenses, and prisms able to amplify different aspects of the Force, diminish others, and focus it where we choose. One who concentrates on the orderliness of flow, the symbiotic connections between living beings and our essential oneness with the universe may allow the Force to flow through them without peril. On the other hand, one who concentrates the flow of the Force through their negative emotions, fear, aggression, anger, hate, brings about only destruction. I’ve not come to pass judgement on you Leia, but I must warn you that the path you’ve started down is as ancient as it is all-consuming. The danger of the Dark Side cannot be overstated.”

“I don’t have time to train as a Jedi, and judging from recent history, your religion and its teachings are highly suspect. If we don’t fight with the weapons we have, we can’t fight at all! What choice do I have? hide on some world in the outer rim for the rest of my life while the Emperor keeps the rest of the galaxy enslaved? What difference does it make if I don’t use my power while he wields his uncontested?” 

“What the Dark wielders can never seem to recognize is that they possess no power whatsoever. To wield the Force through our dark nature is to be possessed by power.”

Leia pushed his hands away and stood up.

“You’re wrong,” she said.

“It doesn’t happen all at once. You won’t lose yourself to the Dark Side in a single instant. But gradually, the farther down the dark path you venture, the harder it becomes to find your way home. After a certain point, there may not be a way back.”

“If the Dark Side is still just ‘the Force’, how can it be purely a bad thing? What if I’m doing exactly what the Force requires to be done? And what other emotions am I supposed to wield it through? My entire world was just destroyed!”

“You only understand how to draw power through the Dark Side now, and until you learn how to properly channel the Force, only destruction can flow from you. However, if you let go of your hatred, seek growth and forgiveness instead of blood and vengeance, you can become a powerful Jedi.”

“I appreciate that you’re trying to help, Obi-Wan, but there’s no time for that. I can’t sit back and do nothing!”

“We never have any such luxury! Let go of your hate! Otherwise, you will follow it down the dark path, and the Dark Side will consume you. Even if you win, you will only replace Palpatine as yet another merciless tyrant, just as the Sith have always done.”

“I’m no Sith!”

“But you are in grave danger of becoming one! If you think you are destroying evil, you are mistaken. Evil doesn’t care what happens to Palpatine or to the Empire. It can be just as easily manifest through you.”

“You talk like I’m some evil creature that crawled into Leia’s skin! Can’t you see that I’m still the same person I was before Alderaan was destroyed? I can remember my family. My home. My father’s gardens. I remember swimming in the ocean, I still remember all my lines from that stupid play Mom forced me to act in in middle school! I know that what I’m doing is dangerous and destructive and that it comes with a cost.” Leia looked at her moderately lightning-scarred hands. “But I owe it to those who died not to give up just because there are risks!”

She pushed a button on the door terminal and the guard opened a slot at eye level. “We’re finished here. See to it that the prisoner does not want for water or rations, and get him an extra blanket. The guard saluted, crossing his arms in an X, then opened the door.

“I’m sorry Obi-Wan Kenobi,” she said looking across her shoulder as she stepped across the threshold into the hall. “My only hope now is victory. May the Force be with you.” the door slid shut and Leia returned to the bridge.


	9. Chapter 9

As Admiral Organa entered, the bridge crew saluted her with the X. “How much longer until we reach Yavin IV?”

“Just under 2 hours, Admiral,” replied Corvyn.

“Where is Lord Vader?”

“Lord Vader left the bridge to tend to his wounds in a bacta tank about 15 minutes ago.”

“You should’ve asked me before letting him leave, helmsman.”

“My apologies, Admiral.”

“Permission to speak freely,” requested Tara.

“Granted.”

“You look like hell, Admiral.” Tara removed a small mirror from her pocket and passed it to Leia.

Leia opened it, and stared at her reflection for a while. She hardly recognized herself. Her white senatorial gown was in tatters. The woman in the mirror looked at least 20 years older than the one she had expected to see. She was sickly pale and her brow appeared permanently furrowed. Dozens of tiny new wrinkles ran across her face, and her eyes were slightly jaundiced around the edges. 

“We should get you cleaned up before you talk to the Rebels,” said Tara. Leia nodded.

“I’ll be right back,” said Tara.

Tara returned with a large makeup bag and a black gunner’s uniform in Leia’s size. The imperial seal on the uniform was X-d out in red paint and a bright red X extended from the shoulders down to the belt. Tara tossed the uniform to Leia.

“Put this on, then we’ll get to work on your face.”

“Give us a moment,” Leia motioned for the rest of the bridge crew to leave.

“Comms officer,” said Leia after the others had left. “Where are you from?”

“My family moved around a lot when I was little. My dad used to say we were from the void. My mom’s from Dantooine, and that’s where my parents live now.”

“Why did you turn against the Empire?”

“Same reason I joined! I have to do everything I can to protect the people back home who depend on us soldiers to keep them safe! I can’t trust the Empire to do that anymore, but I hope I can trust you. You scare the hell out of me, don’t get me wrong, but I believe you’re our best shot at putting an end to this dictatorship. Now, let’s make sure you look the part!” 

It took Tara more than an hour and a half to get Leia’s hair and makeup to a satisfactory state. When Leia looked in the mirror again, she felt somewhat more herself, but the more she stared, the more she noticed the subtle tracks in the foundation concealing the larger scars.

“Over holo, no-one will notice,” reassured Tara with a pat on Leia’s back. “Most of us can’t make a damn bit of difference in this galaxy, but you can. For now it’s necessary that we present the version of your face the galaxy is familiar with, but in the future, I think you should wear your scars with pride. You’re a warrior now, so don’t you dare be ashamed of them!”

Leia opened the doors and the rest of the bridge crew took their positions. “That’s the Leia Organa I recognize from the news holos alright,” said Corvyn. “Nice job, Comms Officer!”

“What’s our ETA?” asked Admiral Organa.

“Exiting hyperspace in T-minus 17 minutes.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mon Mothma sat uneasily on her balcony looking out at the sunset over the jungle with her wife Qila, and a glass of Naboo Merlot. It had not been a pleasant day. That morning she had received a message from one of her many informants that Alderaan had been destroyed by the Death Star. Mon had lost many friends, including the Organa family in the event. The fact that the Death Star was now being used to its full destructive potential with so little provocation weighed heavily on her mind. As if summoned from her fears themselves, the massive battlestation emerged from hyperspace and took its place ominously in the center of the orange sky.

Mon’s communicator started beeping out the sequence for a priority 0 communique. She answered, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“Report!”

“The Death Star has just jumped into orbit from hyperspace. They are not charging weapons of launching fighters. Their commander wants to speak to you via holo.”

“Prepare a holo connection to my quarters at once!”

Mon hugged Qila tightly and planted a kiss on the top of her head before rushing in to her living room to speak to whoever was up there hovering over them like death itself. She tapped nervously on her wine glass as she waited for the holo connection to be established.

A blue face materialized before her. She did a double take. “Leia Organa?”

“What do you think of the rebellion’s newest weapons system?” asked Leia.

“I… I’m speechless. I thought I was about to die! I certainly wasn’t expecting to see you on the other end of this holo. Does this mean you’re somehow in command?”

“I am the leader of the mutineers, yes. They address me as Admiral and will enact any order I give.” 

“I can’t even imagine how you managed this, Leia. It’s fine work. The rebellion is in your debt. We should begin the process of deconstruction and salvage at once.”

“Salvage? Are you out of your mind? We hold all the cards with this battlestation! For the first time, the Empire’s on the defensive!” Leia sensed an anger rising from Mon Mothma. Perhaps she needed to dial the aggression back a bit. “Look, as far as I’m concerned, the Death Star is the property of the rebellion... as soon as I’m done using it to end the war.”

“Using it? How can you say such things? Your own world was just blasted out of heaven!”

“If you had grown up on Alderaan, you’d understand. Until we stop Palpatine, nowhere is safe! Our fleet isn’t even 1% the strength of the imperial Navy’s, but this battlestation could even the odds.”

“What exactly are you planning to do with that thing, Leia?”

“Without a government, there is no Empire. If we strike Coruscant hard in the next couple of days-”

“Coruscant is home to nearly one trillion souls. We cannot fight there! We risk extraordinarily high civilian casualties. I forbid it.”

“We’ll tell them we’re there for Palpatine. They’ll probably give him up peacefully. If they refuse, we’ll strike surgically at military targets and destroy as much belonging to the imperial government as possible before we leave.”

“Strike surgically? Leia, that thing isn’t some laser-scalpel! It’s an abomination!”

“This thing also carries 10,000 TIE fighters, 450 TIE bombers, 150 armored shuttles and it still has room for as many X-Wings as you can spare. Those are hardly blunt instruments.”

Mon’s glass was shaking between her fingers. Her heart was still pounding rapidly. What was she supposed to do? For the first time, the Empire’s beating heart was within striking distance. Of course there would be civilian casualties, but…

“We’ll do everything we can to limit civilian casualties,” said Leia reassuringly.  
“I need some time to think this over, Leia,” Mon strained to say.

“I suggest you do so quickly. The more time passes, the stronger Coruscant's defense will become.” 

Leia cut off the transmission.

“I heard everything,” said Qila from the balcony, a look of deep contemplation on her face. “I always liked Leia. She reminded me a lot of you when you were younger. Not many women, or many people for that matter, have the same level of determination that you two do when it comes to politics.” Qila walked in and sat on the large sofa next to Mon, who was still staring at the wall from which the holo had just been projected.

“There’s something different about her,” said Mon.

“I can’t even imagine what she’s been through! How can you witness your whole planet destroyed without being changed?” said Qila.

Mon sighed and sat down on the couch. “I always doubted that the Empire could actually pull it off. After Scarriff, I thought that perhaps the weapon wasn’t as powerful as we’d feared. I didn’t want to believe it could actually kill planets. I don’t recognize our galaxy anymore, Qila. Nowhere is safe now.”

Qila took Mon’s hand and the two faced each other. “I don’t know what the right call is, but I trust your judgement. So does the rest of the Alliance,” said Qila. “None of us joined the Alliance so that we would be safe. We joined because it was the right thing to do. We joined because somebody has to stand up to the Empire. We joined because-”

Mon’s communicator began beeping again, level 1 priority. She answered it.

“Chancelor, we need talk,” said General Dodonna.

“What’s on your mind, General?”

“Leia Organa is refusing to allow our transports to dock until their captains swear loyalty to her personally. She calls herself an Admiral of the Rebel Alliance, and I’m fairly certain you’ve extended no such title to her.”

“You are correct.”

“I’ve instructed my captains to play along, but if things go south, their loyalty remains with the Rebel Alliance and our chain of command.”

“You mean we’re already garrisoning troops on the Death Star? I never authorized-”

“I’m saying that all of us know how a rare an opportunity this is. Many of our men will join her regardless of our orders. To put it bluntly, if we are serious about winning this war, we have to cooperate with Organa.”

“Your captains have all been issued encrypted long range communicators, correct?”

“Yes, Chancellor.”

“Leia is now operating outside of the chain of command. She controls the most powerful weapon this galaxy has ever seen. We cannot afford to let her do with it as she pleases, unchecked. Our best course of action is to keep the Death Star within our reach. You have my permission to garrison the Death Star with as many Y-Wings, X-Wings and soldiers as it can hold. Make certain Red Squadron is briefed on the Death Star’s vulnerability and are ready to destroy it should that become necessary.”

“Yes, Chancellor. What are your orders with respect to Coruscant?”

Mon took a deep breath and clenched the couch cushions tightly in her fists. “You have my permission to engage any plausible military targets, including government infrastructure. Do your best to limit civilian casualties… but significant collateral damage is inevitable regardless. I accept responsibility for that. However, if Leia attempts to destroy the whole planet, the Death Star is to become our priority target.”

“Any further orders, Chancellor?”

“No.”

“Outstanding. My transport is about to lift off. I’ll do my best to control the situation as it develops and keep you updated.”

“May the Force be with you, General.”

“May the Force be with us all!”

After the transmission cut out, Mon hunched forward holding her head in her hands. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “I don’t know what it is, but something here is very, very wrong.”

She got up from the couch and input some commands on the holo emitter control console. Moments later, she was looking into Leia’s face once more.

“Chancellor, to what do I owe the pleasure?” said Leia in a disingenuously friendly tone.

Mon paced back and forth, glancing intermittently at the projection. “You’ve changed,” she said at last. “I don’t know what Alderaan’s destruction has done to you Leia. I can’t even begin to imagine!” Mon stopped her pacing and moved closer to Leia’s holo. “I need you to promise me that you will do everything in your power to minimize civilian casualties.”

“You have my word, Chancellor. I will do everything in my power.”

“And once the mission is complete, you will relinquish command of the Death Star to the Alliance?”

“You have my word.”

“May the Force, be with you… Admiral.”

Mon Mothma cut the transmission, then started attacking the couch pillows with a flurry of punches. “What’s wrong?” asked Qila. 

“I don’t know, I just know that something is! This is an unparalleled strategic opportunity, but there’s a storm brewing within it, and none of us can control the outcome! I can’t help but feel that I’ve only added fuel to the fire.”

“You’re overthinking it, love. We both know Leia. We can trust her.” Qila poured Mon a fresh glass of Naboo Merlot, took her hand and led her back out to the balcony. The last rays of the sunset were disappearing from the horizon now and the crickors were chirping loudly. The two women held hands as they watched the flickering lights from the engines of dozens of transports and hundreds of fighters flew up to join to attack fleet. As the light dimmed, the Death Star slowly faded into the darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

Obi-Wan was pulled out his trance abruptly by the sound of a lightsaber just outside his cell.

“Open the door,” commanded Vader.

“Negative Lord Vader, we have strict orders not to-”

The whirr of the lightsaber mixed with muffled cries of pain told Obi-Wan all he needed to know. The red lightsaber blade penetrated the cell door and within 30 seconds, Vader made his entrance.

“It was foolish of you to come here, Obi-Wan.”

“It’s been a long time, Anakin. I know that you have come to strike me down, and I will not resist. But before you kill me, I wish to speak to you.”

“Speak quickly.”

“Your daughter’s connection to the Dark Side is unusually powerful. If she goes any further down the dark path, countless innocent lives will be put at risk. If there is anything left of the real you behind that mask, Anakin, I ask that you go to your daughter, and persuade her to abandon this mad quest for vengeance and power. Of all people, surely you understand where such pursuits lead!”

Vader moved behind Obi-Wan and readied his lightsaber for the death blow.

“We do not require your advice. This time, the high ground is ours!” As Vader’s blade pierced Obi-Wan’s neck, the Jedi Knight’s body vanished and his essence merged seamlessly with the Force.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“Comms officer Bolan, any more imperial chatter?”

“It seems Palpatine anticipates an attack on Coruscant. He’s ordered at least two divisions of the imperial fleet to defend the capital.”

“How many ships?”

“2,000 Star Destroyers, 100,000 fighters, possibly more.”

“Assuming 100% accuracy, how many destroyers can the Death Star take out with the main weapon?”

“We can theoretically fire up to eight single core ignitions per minute for up to 15 minutes before cooling and flushing the system for 1 hour,” said weapons officer Hannon.

“Is it possible to fire the weapon using less energy?”

“I don’t think so, Admiral. It’s possible in theory, but the minimum energy option on the controls is the single reactor ignition.” 

“Any idea how the imperial fleet will be positioned?”

“If I know anything about Emperor Palpatine, it’s that he’s a damned coward. He’ll hold the destroyers as close to the surface as he can. Plenty will be hovering in the upper atmosphere,” said Corvyn.

“Since they’re clusterd so close together, that would mean our fighters will be more effective.”

“Actually Admiral,” said Corvyn with a mischievous grin. “If you’ll indulge me, I reckon I’ve got an even better plan of attack!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as Corvyn had predicted, the imperial fleet was swarming thickly in low orbit above Coruscant as the Death Star exited hyperspace. Corvyn looked over his shoulder at Leia, who gave an approving nod. The battlestation sped forward at maximum speed toward the planet. The star destroyers opened fire, but had little effect on the Death Star’s armor as it careened towards them. The Death Star flew straight through a large formation of Star Destroyers, shattering all those in its path. Corvyn deftly executed a slingshot maneauver, turning the Death Star around for another close pass above the planet.

“What’s the status of our hull?” 

“93% integrity, Admiral.”

“Take us back in!”  
In the space of two minutes, the Death star made 5 more close slingshot maneuvers, substantially thinning the imperial fleet. 

The rebel support ships dropped out of hyperspace further away from the planet, and engaged with long range blasters and guided proton missiles. The remaining star destroyers broke from their close formation leaving only the planetary defense shield to protect them from the Death Star.

“All craft, launch fighters and target the shield satellites in orbit.” commanded Leia.

The sky above Coruscant became saturated with blaster fire. Helpless civilians stared upwards, awe-struck, praying discreetly that the Force might spare their lives. Leia’s fighters endured disproportionate losses, due to the interference of the remaining star destroyers and the far greater number of enemy TIEs. Nevertheless, within minutes, through heroic effort and catastrophic losses, the planetary shield was disabled.

“Comms officer, broadcast the message to the people of Coruscant.”

Leia got up from her chair and left the bridge, heading for the main weapon’s control room down the hall. The crewmen there already knew what to do. As soon as they saw her enter, they initiated the necessary pre-firing protocols. Leia took her place at the firing console, placed her hand on the primary ignition lever, and waited. “For 19 years, you have all been parasites on this galaxy, willing servants and fawning sycophants of Sheev Palpatine. Today, that ends!” she thought to herself.

On the surface of Coruscant, a recording of her voice ran out through every functional PA system. 

“This is Admiral Leia Organa, supreme commander of the Death Star. Your Emperor created this battlestation to terrorize the rest of the galaxy. He destroyed Alderaan not out of tactical necessity, but in order to create terror among those he wishes to dominate. I ask you, what sort of leader slaughters his own subjects to prove his strength? I have come here today to rid the galaxy of Emperor Palpatine and to avenge my homeworld and my family. Citizens of Coruscant, surrender Palpatine to me in the next 20 minutes, and I will spare your world. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to destroy your planet, as the Empire destroyed mine. I do not seek vengeance against you, but all who stand in my way will experience it too. Bring Emperor Palpatine to a rooftop, any rooftop on Coruscant where I we can detect him within the next 20 minutes, and I will spare the rest of your world.”

The communications console in weapons control beeped loudly as soon as Leia arrived.

“Admiral,” said Corvyn. “I don’t think we have 20 minutes. Outer hull is at 67% integrity. Main weapon is still operational, but if we take any more hits on the dish, we will miss this opportunity.”

“I don’t kill innocents,” said Leia. “I have to give them a chance first.”

“They may not have one,” said Tara. “I’ve detected a series of heavily encrypted comuniques to the imperial fleet emanating from somewhere deep inside the planet’s mantle.”

Vader entered the weapons control room. “It’s him,” he said. “I sense his presence far below the surface. He hides deep underground beneath the bodies of his soldiers and subjects. Only the destruction of the entire planet can assure Palpatine’s destruction. Do not allow his cowardice to go unpunished! Fire the weapon, and let our vengeance be complete!”

The floor began to shake violently. “Admiral,” shouted Corvyn through the communication console. “We’re receiving heavy bombardment from ion cannons on the surface! At this rate, we have about 3 minutes before we lose the ability to fire, 5 before main power fails!”

“Palpatine believes that you are weak,” said Vader. “Too weak to penetrate his civilian shield. What is your decision? Will you be the victor, or will your stubborn clinging to compassion be your downfall?”

Leia was so close to victory. She could see the Emperor being vaporized just like the citizens of Alderaan had been. Justice was at hand. She closed her eyes and slowly pushed the lever forward. A wide green beam in the conduit next to them began to concentrate and an ominous whirr filled the entire battlestation. The rebel X-Wing group, Red Squadron, which had been tasked with making the trench run if the weapon were about to be fired on the planet, had already been obliterated in the battle. There was no-one to stop her.

“Leia, no!” Obi-Wan’s voice echoed through her head. 

For an instant, Leia’s mind became a flood of sequential images. She saw families huddled fearfully on their balconies on the upper tiers of Coruscant, crying and hugging each-other tightly. She saw Palpatine laughing hysterically as his own body was vaporized. She saw brutal brawls break out in cantinas in far off spaceports. Then she saw the re-constitution of long disbanded armies. She saw the founding of new, much smaller interstellar empires, each of them constructing and utilizing their own Death Stars, desperately trying to destroy the worlds of their adversaries before their own were snuffed out. Countless planets were lost, and the survivors became more fearful, aggressive and hateful towards one another with the destruction of each world. 

It took every last ounce of her willpower, but slowly, Leia pulled the firing control lever back from the verge of firing to its starting position. The green beams de-materialized.

“If you lack the hardness to do what is necessary, then move away from the firing control,” demanded Vader. “I will finish this fight!”

“No,” said Leia. “We have to find another way.”


	11. Chapter 11

Tara was all alone on the bridge now. The rest of the crew had either fled into hyperspace on the few remaining craft capable of escaping the battlestation, or had died defending against the boarding stormtroopers. Tara heard the sound of 2 gatling blasters firing high energy bolts into the hastily constructed barricade barring entry to the bridge. She thought about how her parents had looked 2 years ago, when she was deployed. The sadness and fear beneath their eyes leaking through the calm and collected facade all loyal Imperial citizens must maintain. “Go get ‘em kiddo!” Dad was such a dork! She smiled for a moment, even as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I got ‘em, dad! I got ‘em.” She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and saluted, making the X with her arms. Then she entered the final authorization code, and initiated the main-reactor’s self-destruct sequence. 

The Death Star had been pierced everywhere, like a pincushion full of star destroyer needles. Only a few destroyers had managed to dock at undamaged ports, the rest, on Palpatine’s orders, had rammed into the battlestation. The Emperor had become desperate to destroy the battlestation as quickly as possible once he witnessed the weapon powering up to fire. Fearing for his life, he had ordered all his ships to ram the battlestation at maximum speed. The ships’ captains however, fearing for their own lives and doubting that Coruscant would survive the next few seconds regardless of what they did, rammed the Death Star at an average speed of 6.5% maximum thrusters, trying to maximize the chances that at least the crew further from the nose section would survive and might be able to surrender to Leia after the battle. 

The bodies of tens of thousands of stormtroopers had been ripped from their ships during the impacts. Now they floated listlessly like ghosts in the black sky. A shudder rippled through the Death Star, then suddenly bright green jets of light shot out from its top and bottom poles. The battlestation exploded, taking with it most of the surviving defending fleet. 

On Coruscant, countless fires had been started by crashed star destroyers in the city below. The fires sent up hurricane sized clouds of smoke, obscuring much of the surface from view. Though it had been spared total destruction, the damage to Coruscant was severe, and civilian casualties already numbered in the millions. 

Two small craft hurdled downward through one such mass of smoke. The first was a TIE Advanced Mark I, Vader’s personal fightercraft. The other was a modified TIE bomber occupied by Chief Navigator, Corvyn Tillis and Admiral Leia Organa. 

“Rearguard to forward leader,” said Corvyn. “You sure you know where we’re going?”

“Affirmative. Stay alert,” replied Vader.

In the chaos of the battle above, the two craft had managed to evade detection, until now. A squadron of defending TIEs flew straight up at the group firing weapons. Vader shot one down, and Corvyn disabled another.

“Maximum speed ahead, stay close!” said Vader.

The cockpits were already under heavy stress. Their metal bars glowed orange from the heat of rapid atmospheric re-entry, and their wings wobbled disconcertingly under the stress of extreme maneuvers. The two craft burst through the clouds of smoke and plunged toward the city’s surface at terrifying speed. Their target was a wide building, with 5 pillars on its roof, the Imperial Palace. They did not decelerate as they plummeted downwards. 

“Now!” shouted Vader. In a coordinated maneuver too fast for human eyes to detect, Vader tilted his craft just far enough out of the way so that Corvyn’s modified TIE bomber could shoot a series of timed high-speed explosives ahead of them, breaking a path through the upper floors of the Palace. Just as the front edge of his wing was about to impact, Vader fired a charged blast into the metal cover of a vacuum tube, barely wide enough for their craft to enter. They fell downward much faster now, lacking air resistance. 

“How much longer until we reach the bloody rat’s den?” asked Corvyn.

“Not long,” said Vader. “It’s going to be a difficult landing.”

Leia closed her eyes and reached out through the Force, studying the contours of the passageway they were descending. Thousands of kilometers below, she sensed a small widening, then an abrupt end to the passage. 

Moments later, they arrived at their destination. “Reverse thrust!” shouted Vader. The tunnel suddenly widened out into a tall cylindrical cargo bay of sorts. Vader pulled up hard at just the right moment and flew around the cargo bay in blindingly fast circuits as he deccelerated and finally brought his fighter down to a bumpy landing. “Just like podracing,” he mused to himself.

Corvyn just hung there strapped into his seat, shaking. The floor was inches away from his face beyond the glass of the cockpit. Leia concentrated, trying to displace the momentum she was holding back to prevent the craft from crashing. Realizing that the pressure of Coruscant’s atmosphere this far below its surface would crush them if the the tunnel wasn’t closed, she redirected the TIE bomber’s kinetic energy into the vacuum channel, collapsing it in and sealing it a few kilometers above them. The TIE bomber fell to the floor, intact.

“We need to get out, now! shouted Leia. Quickly as they could, Leia and Corvyn undid their flight straps, donned oxygen masks, and hurried out through the top hatch. A large metal beam crashed on top of the bomber not long after they were clear of the area. 

It wasn’t hard to figure out where to go next. There was only one passage leading out of the cargo bay, a narrow hallway with a pressurized door. Vader made quick work of it with his lightsaber and Leia and Corvyn were able to safely remove their oxygen masks.

“I reckon this is it,” said Corvyn, cocking his scatter-blaster. “Time to make that slimy little fucker pay!”

The three of them moved forward until they came to a large set of blast doors. As Vader began cutting through the barrier with his lightsaber, the doors flew open, and a hail of bolts from a ceiling-mounted gatling blaster were hurled into the tight corridor. A shot grazed Vader’s shoulder before was able to block the other shots with his lightsaber.

Corvyn burst through into the large elliptical panic room just in time, firing scatter blasts at close range into the torsos of unprepared palace guards. Leia reached out, and grasped the destructive potential of the turret Palpatine had so foolishly made available to her. Through the Force, she bade the turret fire on Palpatine. With inhuman speed, the Sith Lord darted across the room and unleashed a small burst of lighting on Corvyn, just enough to stun him for a fraction of a second. It was more than enough time for one of the palace guards to thrust a straight 35cm dagger deep into his abdomen. 

Corvyn fell to his knees with a pained cry. Gritting his teeth, he managed to fire several more shots with his scatter blaster before another guard managed to pierce his upper back with a lance, causing the renowned pilot to involuntarily throw his blaster to the side. Corvyn knew that this was the end. “See you soon, Jen,” he said quietly, gritting his teeth. As the guard with the lance removed it from Corvyn’s back and attempted a second thrust, Corvyn pivoted around to face him, gripped the lance’s shaft and pulled the guard close enough to grapple. In a final effort, Corvyn wrestled his opponent to the ground. Pressing the guard’s chest to the floor with his knee, he used one hand to arch up the neck, as he gripped the hilt of the dagger in his abdomen with the other hand. Two more guards were closing in fast to aid their comrade.

“Admiral, send that bastard to hell for us! For Alderaan!” shouted Corvyn as he laboriously pulled the dagger out, and thrust it into the jugular vein of his opponent slipping it underneath the helmet, just before three more lances pierced his body, ending Corvyn’s life. 

Leia ripped the gatling turret from the ceiling and used it to crush the group of palace guards that had just killed Corvyn, smashing their bodies against the wall before they could rush Vader from behind. Then she hurled herself at Palpatine. The Sith Lord darted out of the way and made for the opposite side of the elliptical room. Leia and Vader pursued him. As they got close, Palpatine looked more and more fearful.

“You could have ruled your own empire! You managed to steal the greatest weapon this galaxy has ever known only to waste it!” said Palpatine. “We could have partitioned the galaxy between us! We could have co-existed!”

“The way you coexisted with Alderaan?”

Leia threw herself at Palpatine with the Force. The Sith Lord tried to dash away, but this time Leia redirected her course and managed to grab the edge of his cloak. She slammed him against a wall like a rag doll, then hurled his body even harder against another. The Sith Lord was slow to get up. Hate burned hot in his eyes.

“You do not understand the way of the Dark Side, yet it flows through you with such power! Were you properly trained, you would be unequaled among the Sith.”

Leia spun around just in time to dodge the lance thrusts of two guards. With the Force she tore their weapons from their grasp and impaled them one their own lances, pinning them on either side of Palpatine, limiting his movement. Looking around she saw that only three guards remained, and they were some distance away, locked in fierce combat with Vader.

“Fool!” shouted Palpatine as he unleashed a barrage of lightning at her. She was sent to the floor, convulsing violently.

“Anakin, your daughter!” Vader heard Obi-Wan’s voice call out. Vader saw Palpatine mercilessly enveloping her in his lightning, but Vader was unable to break free from the combat with the Emperor’s guards. He tried Force pushing his opponents back, but somehow they had been trained to resist this technique. He managed to sever one of his opponent’s legs at the knee, and shifted the combat towards the center of the room.

“You wasted your chance to eliminate me and now you pay the consequence! Had you given yourself over to the Dark Side, you would rule this galaxy as Empress! Only now, at the end do you see the emptiness of your pathetic ideals!” Said Palpatine as he sent ray after of ray of lighting into her helpless body.

The horrible sound of Leia’s cries mingled with the crackle of the lightning and the whirring of Vader’s lightsaber. If he focused on the fight he was in now, his daughter would surely die, and Palpatine would be difficult to defeat on his own. Vader used both hands to make a massive horizontal strike against his foes, knocking them out of the way. Then, he threw his lightsaber at Palpatine, severing one of his former master’s arms. The lightning stopped. Before Vader could return his lightsaber to his hand, one of the guards closed the gap, and drove his lance through Vader’s torso. He fell to his knees, regained his lightsaber, and struggled to defend against subsequent blows.

Leia pushed herself off of the floor with her hands, now badly burned, and stared at Palpatine a few meters away who was busy cauterizing the stub of his left arm with a small stream of lightning. So many memories flooded her mind. The interrogation droid floating ominously toward her blistermelt boiling inside its syringe. Alderaan exploding behind the viewing window. Her parents tearfully embracing each other as they were vaporized. Everything had led her to this moment. This was her destiny. She let the lighting flow.

The Sith Master hastily produced his own lightning from his remaining hand as an improvised shield, fuelled by his fear as much as his rage at being bested by this untrained novice. “You know nothing of the Dark Side!” he said.

Leia delved deep into the darkness of her heart, using her hate to power the lightning even more. She remembered how Palpatine had looked at her during the interrogation, how eager he was to watch her injected with blistermelt. Palpatine was no longer able to deflect all of the lightning, and a few small shocks found their way to his body, causing him to grit his teeth with pain.

“Your vengeance against me changes nothing! Soon you will rule in my place, and the galaxy will fear you as they fear death itself!” The lightning was really beginning to burn his feet now and his voice became plainly agonized. “No matter what you do, you will never restore the lives of those whom you failed to protect! Your efforts are futile, pathetic! Go ahead, take your revenge! Give yourself to the Dark Side and rule in my place!”

“Leia, you don’t have to do this!” pleaded Obi-Wan.

But it was too late. Hatred had saturated her consciousness. She could not feel anything else. She could only let the hate flow, through the lighting, brighter and brighter onto the evil agent who had been responsible for so much suffering across the galaxy and now insulted her even in defeat. No, she would never be like him!

On the other side of the room, the combat stopped as Vader and the palace guards were blinded by the impossibly bright light emanating from Leia’s lightning. The chamber shook violently and her enraged scream echoed throughout it. Eventually, the bright light dimmed, the scream fell silent, and Vader took the opportunity to catch the last two palace guards with a quick series of strikes with his lightsaber.

With great effort, he limped over to the other side of the room. A massive tunnel had been carved into the rock beyond the wall Palpatine had been pinned against. All that remained of the Sith Lord were a heavily charred pair of shoes and the smoldering remains of his lower tibia and fibula sticking up from them. 

“Leia!”

Vader knelt down and cradled her head in his arms. She was badly burned, and wasn’t moving, though small bursts of lighting still coursed through her body. “Leia!” he called down to her. She coughed weakly then gasped, not quite able to draw a full breath. She looked up at Vader and smiled, “We did it,” she said. “We killed the Emperor!” She coughed more forcefully, then spit a mouthful of blood onto the floor.

“We can take the other lift to the financial district, we’ll get you medical treatment!” he said. 

“No. It’s too late for me. I gave into my hate. All I wanted was revenge, and I got it. I would rather die than do the Dark Side’s bidding any longer! I accept this fate.” 

“You can’t die! This galaxy needs order! With your power, we can finally unite it!”

Leia turned her head to the side. She saw Obi-Wan standing placidly beside Vader, his hand reaching out to her. 

“Don’t you see,” she struggled to say, pulling Vader’s face close. “The struggle for power is what sustains the Dark Side. Suffering, pain... hatred… they feed upon one another. The more we respond to these feelings, the more the Force flows along the dark path. That path for me comes to an end, but you still have a choice, Anakin... break the cycle… choose the Light, fa-ther-”

Leia convulsed, and after a final wheezing exhale, blood oozed up through her mouth, and she died. Vader was overcome with bereavement. He hugged his daughter’s body close, crying mournful tears. “This is my fault!” he cried out. “If I had resisted the pull of the Dark Side, you would still be here! Your mother would still be here! There would have been no Emperor to kill!”

“Take me!” he shouted at the ceiling. “Take me and spare my daughter, I am the one responsible!” But his pleas were in vain. The Force doesn’t work like that. The consequences were irreversible. Alderaan was avenged.


End file.
